Articles of food are often cooked with a bare minimum of molding for shaping an exterior portion of the food. Such molding can include molding through the use of hands. Other molding can be achieved through molded cooking devices configured to mold the food prior or during cooking. Still other molding can be achieved through the use of utensils or devices configured for molding. While these methods and devices have provided some level of molding for articles of food, they are often limited to specific food types due to varying material consistency of the food or customary shape of the food. Also, many of these molds comprise nothing more than receptacles to be used during cooking.
Recently, attention has been generated for creative articles of food that have demonstrated both culinary creativeness, but also, how common everyday foods can be modified to provide improved taste, customized flare, increased nutritional value, or otherwise. For example, this attention has been generated through product infomercials, broadcast television programming and through other means showing how existing food can be improved upon through the device they are demonstrating. However, again, many of these devices shown have been limited in application to certain types or consistency of foods, particularly with respect to mold devices. Furthermore, the vast majority of mold devices are limited to forming exterior portions of food.
In another aspect, it has become continuously desirable to provide individualized articles of food, wherein the articles of food include all the typical ingredients self contained within the individual article of food. This is particularly desirous for expediting delivery of food and reducing potential of inadvertent spillage or mess. One example of an individualized food includes pizza rolls, though many others have been developed. However, there have been few, if any, attempts on improving packaging of a hamburger, which often includes many subsequently placed toppings. For example, with respect to hamburgers, ingredients or toppings commonly placed on exterior portions of hamburgers include mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, onions, pickles, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, spices or otherwise. As can be appreciated, with more than a couple of toppings the hamburger becomes difficult to consume. Inevitably, particularly with younger individuals, this leads to inadvertent spillage of the food on hands, clothing, tables or otherwise.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for improved methods and devices for forming articles of food. More specifically, in one aspect, there is a need for an improved forming device for molding interior and exterior portions of food to form cavities therein for receiving additional food components so as to form an individualized packaged food article, particularly with respect to hamburgers.